Mail-bag catcher.



Patented Mar. I9, |90I. H. N. NRRIS.

MAIL BAG CATCHEB.

(Application filed Dec.. 3, 1900.'

2 Sheets-Sheet I.

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No. 670,348. Patented Mar. |9,|9o|.

H. N. Noams.

um BAG suenan.

(Application filed Dec. 3, .1900.1

(No Model.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

m 'M l A V l THE MORRIS PETERS C04, maval-Wm. WASHINGTON, H4 C.

UNITED STATES VPATENT FFIC.

HENRY N. NORRIS, OF RIVERTON, KENTUCKY.'

MAIL-BAG CATCHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 670,348, dated March 19, 1901.l

Application le'tl December 3, 1900.l Serial No. 38.460.' kNo model.)

To @ZZ whom t may oon/cern).-

Beit known that I, HENRY N. NRRIS, acitiz'en of the United States, residing at Riverton, in the county of Greenup and State of Kentucky, have invented newand useful Improvements in Mail-Bag Catchers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to mail-bag catchers, and has for its object to provide improved mechanism for exchanging mail-bags between a rapidly-moving railway-train and mail-stations along the road-that is to say, to provide improved mechanism by means of which a inail-bag may be safely delivered from the moving train and another mail-bag be simultaneously taken on from the mail-station.

It has for its further object to provide apparatus of the character set forth which will he simple and durable in construction and efficient, safe, and certain in operation.

It also has for its object to provide improved means whereby the apparatus on the mail or baggage caris operated frotn the train air-brake system; and, nally, it has for its object to provide the mail-station apparatus with an improved lantern signaling device, whereby an approaching train is automatically signaled to prepare for taking aboard mail.

'lo these ends my invention consists in the features and in the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts hereinafter described, and particularly pointed out in the claims following the description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, wherein- Figure l is a perspective view showing my improved apparatus in operative position. Fig. 2 is a view in front elevation of a vportion of a car, showing the apparatus applied thereto and folded down within the doorway. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view of the same, showing the apparatus raised up in operative position. Fig. 4 is a view in front elevation of that part of the apparatus erected at the railway-station. Fig. isa vertical sectional View of the saine, showing the apparatus.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 indicates a railway mail or baggage car having the usual doorway 2. opposite sides of the frame of the doorway are the ends of a horizontal shaft 3, provided with a rigid handle "or lever 4, and fixed to said shaft and projecting in a direction opposite Journaled in the to the lever 4 is a yoke-frame 5, terminating The numeral 10 indicates a horizontal bar disposed parallel to the car and provided midway between its ends with a recess 1l, in which is rotatably fitted the journal 9. Two metallic straps 12 loosely embrace the ends of the journal 9 and are fastened at their ends to the bar 10, said straps operating to hold the journal 9 rotatably to the bar. The bar 10'is provided intermediate its ends with a rigid pendent or vertically-depending rod 13, the lower end 14 of which is slightly reduced and is loosely fitted in a perforation fortned intermediate the ends of a horizontal bar 10i, substantially similar in construction to the bar 10 before referred to. A nut 15 is fixed on the lower end of the pendent rod 13,beneatl1 the bar l0,to hold the latter in place, and disposed on the lower reduced end of said rod, above the bar 10a,is a coiled spring 16,that opcrates to force said bar downward on the rod for the purpose hereinafter explained. The yoke-frame 5 is disposed parallel to the arms S, and its divergent forked arms 6 embrace the pendent rod, to which it is tiexibly connected by a fastening device 17 of any suitable or preferred construction. It will be evident that normally the arms S, yoke-frame 5, bars 10 and 10a, and rod 13will all be folded up within the doorway or lie in substantially the same vertical plane, said parts being held in such position by gravity, whereby they will be entirely out of the way and no part thereof will project beyond the car. To throw this part of the apparatus into operative position, it is only necessary to draw the lever or handle 4 IOO horizontal position and will then be in readiness for operation. A lug 1S is formed on one end of the shaft 7 and is adapted to engage a pin or projection 19, fixed to the adjacent side of the doorway when the parts are thrown up into operative position and operates as a stop to limit the upward swinging movement of said parts. Attached to the sides of the opposite ends of the bar lO are clasps 20, each comprising a stiff wire or resilient rod bent into substantially V shape, the ends of the clasp embracing the sides of the end of the bar and being securely attached thereto in any suitable manner or by any preferred means, and the end of the clasp pressing upon the upper side of the end of the bar and preferably projecting slightly beyond the saine for the purpose hereinafter made apparent. Similar clasps are secured to the under side of the ends of the lower bar 10". Attached to or formed on the upper sides of the opposite end portions of the upper bar l0 are rearwardly-inclined barbs or hook-shaped projections 21. By the words rearwardly inclined I mean to express the fact that each of said barbs inclines or extends upward in a direction away from the adjacent end of the bar for the purpose to be hereinafter set forth.

The numeral 45 indicates a mail-bag, to the lower end of whichis attached a metallic ring 23, and to the upper end thereof is attached a loop or strap 24, to which is adapted to be detachably attached a suspension device constructed as follows: The suspension device consists of a metallic casting comprising a substantially semicircular loop 25, formed on the vertical straight side of which is a rectangular loop 2b'. The outer side of the rectangular loop consists of a swinging latch-bar 27, pivoted at its upper end and adapted at its other end to swing over the outer end of the bottom 28 of the rectangular loop and be secured thereto by a padlock.

llVhen a mail-bag is to be placed on the arms l0 and 10a for delivery, the suspension device is connected to the bag by unfastening the latch-bar 27 and passing it through the strap or loop 24 on the upper end of the bag and fastening itin place. The loop 26 is then passed over the rear end of the bar l0 and underneath the clasp 20, and the ring 23 on the lower end of the bar is in like manner arranged on the corresponding end of the bar 10% The clasps 20 and 20ZL clasp or clamp the loops 26 and 23 to the bars l0 and 10a and prevent the accidental removal of the bag therefrom. The mail-bag may be conveniently placed on the bars l() and l0 while the parts are folded down in their vertical position within the doorway of the car. When the bag is in place on the bars, the coiled spring lo operates to hold it taut thereon, and said spring, moreover, permits the lower bar l0 to yield vertically, whereby bags of different lengths may be used'in connection with the apparatus. When the bag is in place on the bars 10 and 10a, the loop 25 stands ver'- tically and on the outer side of the bar lO in the proper position to be engaged by the removing device at the station, which is constructed as follows:

The numeral 30 indicates a post or standard supported in a vertical position in any suitable manner alongside the railway-track and longitudinally slotted, as at 3l. Fixed to the inner side (or the side next the track) of the post and at the upper end thereof are two bearings 32, in which is journaled a triangular frame 33, which is fixed at its apex or outer end to a horizon tal bar 34,constructed in the same manner as the bar l0, before de scribed. Projecting from the base of the triangular franie 33 is a rigid arm 35, to the free end of which is pivoted the upper end of a link 36, the lower end of which is in like manner connected to one end of a lever 37, which projects through the slot 3l of the post and is journaled in bearings 38, fixed to the rear or outer side of said post. The free end of the lever is prolonged or extended to form a handle 39. The bar 34 normally drops down to a vertical position b vgravity and is held in a horizontal or operative position after it has been raised by the lever 37 and link 36 by a bail 40, which is journaled at its ends in bearings 41, fixed to the inner side of the post. The bail normally hangs suspended in a vertical position and is arranged to engage or hook under the adjacent free end of the lever 37, and thus hold the bar 34 in its raised position.

The numeral 42 indicates an arm one end of'which is disposed `in the slot in the post and is adapted to project therethrough, said end of the arm being slotted or forked, as at 43, and is pivoted to the post by a pivot pin or bolt 44. Rigidlyiixed to the other end of said arm is a horizontal bar 34, corresponding to the arm l0, before described. The bar 34 and arm 42 normally hang in a vertical position by gravity. The slotted end of the arm 42 is so arranged relatively to the locking-bail 40 that when the arm swings down vertically by gravity the slotted end of said arm will engage the end of the locking-bail and swing the latter from beneath and out of engagement with the end of the lever 37, and thus permit the bar 34 to automatically drop down to a vertical position. The arm 42 is slotted, as shown, to permit the end of the arm to sweep past or beneath the end of the lever 37. The mail-bag to be taken up by the train is placed on the bars 34 and 34 in the same manner as is the bag on the bars l0 and 10, excepting that it is placed on the ends of said bars farthest removed from the approaching train.

The operation of my improved apparatus is as follows: The mail-bag 45, to be delivered from the train and left at the station, is placed on the bars l0 and l0, while the apparatus is folded down within the doorway of the car, and the mail-bag 46, to be taken up by the IOO IIO

train at the station, is suspended from the bars 34 and 34a in similar manner, and after it has been placedin position the bar 34 is swung up into horizontal position by the lever 37 and link 36. As the lever 37 is turned on its pivot to raise the bar 34 its end engages a beveled lug 47, formed on and pendent from the lower end of the locking-bail, and thrusts the latter aside until the end of the lever passes above the lower end of the bail, upon which the bail swings back to normal position by gravity and underneath the end of the lever, thus locking the latter and holding the arm 34 horizontal. It is evident that as the bar 34 is raised in the manner described the bar 34a will also be raised, as the mail-bag connects the two bars. Hence vafter the bag has been placed in position on the bars it is only necessary to pull down the handle 39 of the lever,when the bars and the bag will be swung up into operative position and the parts will be automatically locked in the manner set forth. As the train approaches the station the bars l and a, carrying the bag 45, are swung up into horizontal position by drawing down the handle 4 and are held iun such position until the car has passed the station. As the car passes the post the forward end of the bar l0 passes through the loop 25 of the suspension device on the bag 46, and said loop rides up over and behind the barb 2l until the foremost forked arm 6 engages the bag 46 and strips it off from the ends of the bars 34 and 34a, leaving it suspended fromthe bar li). In precisely the same manner the end of the bar 34 passes through the loop 25 of the suspension device on the bag 45, and as the train passes by the bag 45 is left suspended from the bar 34. In this manner the two bags are simultaneously and automatically exchanged. After the eX- change has been effected the handle u the car is released, permitting the parts to fold down by gravity within. the doorway of the car and the bag 46 is removed. The bar 34 will take up the bag before the bag 46 is stripped from the said bar 34 by the bar l0 and forked arm 6; but as soon as the bag 46 has been stripped from the bars 34 and 34' the latter will drop or swing down by gravity, and in doing so its upper end will engage the locking-bail and disengage it from the end of the lever 37, thus permitting the bar 34, together with the bag 45, to also swing down to vertical position, thus permitting of the ready removal of the bag and placing the arms out of the way. i

It will of coursebe readily understood without further-description that the mail-bags may be exchanged between the car and station irrespective of the direction' in which the trainis traveling.

. In the foregoing description I have referred to the apparatus onl the car as being operated by hand, and such may be the case where the train is not equipped with the usual air-brake system. I prefer, however, to'operate'such apparatus by means of compressed air derived from such system in the following manner: Attached to the under side of the car, beneath one side of the doorway 2, is an air-cylinder 48, in which is arranged to recip.

rocate a piston 49, carrying a piston-rod 50,

that projects up through the floor of the car.

Pivotally connected to the piston-rod is one end of a pitman 5l, the other end of which is in turn pivotally connected to an arm 52, fixed on the shaft 3. Leading from the bot-` tom of the cylinder 48 is a pipe 53, which is connected with a valve 54 of well-known construction, arranged in the baggage or mail car, and a pipe 55 connects said valve with.

the usual air-cylinder 56 beneath the car. When the apparatus is not in operation, the piston 49 stands at the bottom of its cylinder, as shown. When the apparatus is to be thrown 'into operation, as shown in Fig. 3, however, the valve 54 is turned to admit compres'sed air from the air-cylinder 56 to the cylinder 48, thereby raising the piston and through the medium of the connected mechanism rocking the shaft 3 on its journals and raising the.

apparatus up into operative position. IWhen the valve 54 is turned to cut oli:` the conneci tion between the cylinders, it will operate in a usual and well-known manner to bleed or exhaust the air from the cylinder 48 and permit the piston to descend.

In order that the mail-clerk on a train traveling at night may know whether or not mail is to be taken aboard the train from a station that is being approached, and consequently whether or not to throw thev bagcatching mechanism carried by the car into operative position, I provide the station apparatus with automatic lantern signaling apparatus constructed and operating as follows: Ou top of the post 3l is arranged a lanposite sides with bulls-eyes 58, that are-- visible to trains approaching in either direction. These bulls-eyes may be of a distinctive color to give them the proper signification and to distinguish them from other trainsiguals. Disposed over the lantern is aswinging hood 59, consisting of a rectangular boX, open on one side and, at its bottom and hinged at one of its lower edges, as at 60, to the top of the post 3l. To the hood 59 at a point above the hinged edge thereof is pivotally connected one end of va link 6l, the other end of which is pivotally connected to the handle 39 of the lever v37 before referred to. The operation of this part ofthe device is as follows: When a mail bag is fixed in place on the bars 34 and 34a and the latter swing up into operative position, the downward movement of the lever 37 in raising the bar 34 to place will through the medium of the link 6l swing the hood 57 aboutits pivot through an are of substantially ninety Vde-I grees andA uncover the lantern, thus disclosing the bulls-eyes to the view of a train approaching in either direction, and thereby giving notice to the mail-clerk to prepare the ICO IIO

bag-catching apparatus on the car for taking the end of the uppermost of said supports on board the bag at the station. When the bag has been caught and removed from the bars 34 and 34a, the bar e152 drops to a vertical position by gravity and trips the lockingloail 40, thereby releasing the lever 37 and permitting the bar 34 to drop, as heretofore explained. The bar 34 in dropping to place elevates the handle 39, and the latter through the medium of the link (il swings the hood 59 up to a vertical position, thus covering the signal-lantern and concealing the same from View, thereby giving notice to an approaching train that no mail is to be taken aboard. It will be noted that the signaling apparatus is entirely automatic throughout-that is to say, the signal-lantern is normally7 concealed from view; but the mere act of throwing the mail-bag up into position to be caught by a passing train automatically uncovers the lantern and exhibits the signal, and when the mail-bag is removed by the catcher on the car the lantern is automatically covered and concealed. Such arrangement not only saves the station-attendanttime, labor,and trouble, but also prevents any mistake being made in the display of the signal, as the latter is controlled absolutely by the bag-supporti ng meehanism.

Having described my invention, what I claim is l. A mail-bag-catching device comprising two horizontal bars arranged one above the other and carried by swinging supports pivotally attached to the side of a car whereby said bars and their supports may be folded down into a vertical position, said bars at their opposite ends being provided with springclasps arranged to clasp loops on the ends of a mail-bag, and the upper bar being provided at its opposite ends and on its upper sides with rearwardly or inwardly inclined barbs, in combination with means arranged alongside the track for suspending a bag in the path of said arms, substantially as described.

2. A mail-bag-catching device, comprising two horizontal shafts journaled at their opposite ends in the sides of a car-doorway one above the other and means for rocking one of them, of laterally-projecting supports fixed on said shafts, a horizontal bar pivotally mounted on the free end of the uppermost of said supports parallel to the side of the car,

a vertical rod pendent from the said bar and having mounted on its lower arm a horizontal bar parallel with the first-named bar, and a iiexible connection between said rod and the lowermost support, substantially as described.

3. A mail-bag-catching device comprising two horizontal shafts journaled at their opposite ends in the sides of a car-doorway one above the other and means for rocking one of them, of laterally-proj ectin g supports fixed on said shafts, the lowermost of which terminates in two forked divergent arms, a horizon tal bar j ournaled intermediate its ends on parallel with the side of the car, a vertical rod pendent from said bar and having mounted on its lower end a corresponding horizontal bar, said rod being embraced between the said forked arms and loosely connected therewith, and means for detachably connecting the opposite ends of a mail-bag to either of the two corresponding ends of said bars, substantially as described.

4. A mailbag-catching device comprising two horizontal shafts journaled at their opposite ends in the sides of a car-doorway one above the other and means for rocking one of them, of laterally-projecting supports fixed on said shafts, thelowermost of which terminates in two forked divergent arms, a horizontal bar journaled intermediate its ends on the end of the uppermost of said supports parallel to the side of the car, a vertical rod pendent from said bar and having movably mounted on its lower end a horizontal bar parallel with the first-named bar, a spring on said rod for forcing the bar downward, a stop for limiting thedownward movement of the bar, said rod being embraced by said forked arms and loosely connected thereto, and means for detachably connecting the opposite ends of a mail-bag to either of the two corresponding ends of said bars, substantially as described.

5. A mail-bag-catching device, comprising a post arranged beside the track, a swinging support pivoted to the upper portion of said post and provided at its free end with a horizontal bar disposed parallel to the track, means for raising said support to a horizontal position, an arm pivoted to the post below the support and provided with a horizontal arm disposed parallel to the track, locking mechanism for holding the support in its raised position, means for detachably connecting the opposite ends of a mail-bag to either of the two corresponding ends of said bars, and means operated by the downward movement of the said arm for disengaging the locking mechanism and permit the support to swing` down to a vertical position, substantially as described.

6. A mail-bag-catching device, comprising a post arranged beside the track, a swinging support pivoted to the upper portion of said post and provided at its free end with a horizontal bar disposed parallel to the track, a link pivotally connected at one end with said support, a lever pivoted intermediate its ends to the post and near one e'nd of the link, a pivoted bail adapted to engage the end of said lever to hold the supportin its raised position, an arm pivoted to the post beneath the support and having fixed to one end a horizontal bar disposed parallel to the ba r carried by the support, and means for detachably connecting the opposite ends of a mail-bag to either of the two corresponding ends of said bars, said arm when the mail-bag is removed dropping by gravity and disengagin g the bail IOO from the lever to permit the support and its bar to drop to a vertical position, substantially as described.

7. A mail-bag-catching device, comprising a post arranged beside the track, a swinging support pivoted to the upper portion of said post and provided at its free end with a horizontal bar disposed parallel to the track, a link pivotally connected at one end with said support, a lever pivoted intermediate its ends to the post and near one end to the link, a pivoted bail adapted to engage the end of said lever to hold the support elevated, a beveled lug on the free end of the bail arranged to be engaged by the end of the lever when the latter is raised to elevate the support whereby the bail is swung to oneside out of the path of the end of the lever and drops back by gravity to engage and hold the latter, an arm pivoted to the post beneath the support and having fixed to one end a horizontal bar disposed parallel to the bar carried by the support, and means for detachably connecting the opposite ends of a mail-bag to either of the two corresponding ends of the said` bars, one end of said arm, when the mail-bagis removed, operating to engage the bail and release it from engagement with the lever to permit the support and its bar to drop to a vertical position, substantially as described.

8. The combination with a mail-bag-catching device, of a bag-suspending device, comprising a semicircnlar loop, a rectangular loop formed on the straight side of the semicircular loop, and a pivoted latch-bar operating to close the lower end of the rectangular loop, substantially as described and for the purpose specified.

9. A mail-bag-catching device comprising two horizontal bars arranged one above the other and carried by swinging supports pivotally connected to the side of the car whereby said bars and their supports may be folded down into a vertical position, said bars at their opposite ends being provided with spring-clasps arranged to clasp loops on the ends of a mail-bag, and the upper bar being provided at its opposite ends and on its upper sides with rearwardly or inwardly inclined barbs, and a compressed-air motor for raising said bars at will, substantially as described.

10. A mail-bag-catching device comprising two horizontal shafts jonrnaled at their oppo- 4site ends in the sides of a car-doorway one above the other, of laterallyprojecting supports fixed on said shafts, a horizontal bar pivotally mounted on the free end of the uppermost of said supports parallel to the side of the oar, a vertical rod pendent from the said bar and having mounted on its lower arm a horizontal bar parallel with the rstnamed bar, a flexible connection between said rod and the lowermost support, and a compressed-air motor arranged to rock one of said shafts and raise said bars at will, substantially as described.

ll. In a device of the character described, the combination with a lantern-support and mechanism for holding a mail-bag suspended in position to be caught by a passing train,

of a hood hinged at its lower end to the lantern-support and arranged to swing over and from O a lantern held by said support, and

means automatically operated by the bag-suspending mechanism for swinging said hood or cover from over the signal to display the latter when the bag is suspended in position and to move said hood over and conceal said lantern from view in both directions when the bag is removed, substantiallyas described.

12. In a device of the characterdescribed, the combination with an upright support and with mechanism affixed thereto for suspending a mail-bag in position to be caught by a passing train, of a pivoted lever for actuating said mechanism, a lantern arranged on said support, a hinged hood arranged to be swung over and from off said lantern, and a link connecting said hood and lever, the arrangement being such that when the lever is swung in one direction to suspend the bag in position the link will swing the hood from o the lantern, and when the lever is swung in the other direction on the removal of the bag the hood will .be thrown over the lantern, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HENRY N. NORRIS. Witnesses:

WILLIAM H. KoUNs, JAMES M. WILSON. 

